By Democrat reporter
A Dumbarton commuter has hit out angrily after recent rail price increases saw the cost of his Scotrail ticket doubled.
Dave Phillips regularly travels by train between Dumbarton and Glasgow but was dismayed to find the cost of an over 60s return ticket had jumped to £5 return.
He has informed Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie, right, that he will have to stop making regular journeys due to the rising cost.
The disgruntled commuter paid £3.25 for his ticket previously but he was hit with the sharp increase after the off-peak rail fares pilot ended in September.
But Dave believes pensioners are being swindled, due to his ticket to Glasgow being priced at a reduced amount based on the peak fare of £10, despite concessionary rates being unavailable for peak time travel.
As a result, Mr Phillips says over 60s fares should be based instead on off-peak rates.
He commented: “Fares between Dalreoch and Glasgow are £5 return and £3.05 single. The £5 is due to the Peak fare now being £10, which should be irrelevant to over 60’s as they can’t travel on a concession card at peak time.
“I am sure they do not like the publicity of the 53 per cent increase, especially when it shouldn’t apply to people who can’t travel at the time it applies.
“Prior to the recent increase, the Dalreoch return was £3.25, it’s now £5. I can only assume that a lot fewer people will travel at these prices, I know I won’t be.”
The Scottish Government announced in August that the off-peak rail fares pilot project, which saw peak rail fares discounted to off-peak prices for all travellers, would end.
It has been introduced when the SNP administration was shored up by the Scottish Greens, in October 2023.
The SNP ended the coalition agreement with the Greens in April, and the pilot was scrapped after the SNP Government decided in August that it would no longer subsidise rail fares as a method of encouraging greater uptake of train services, noting that this had “limited success”.
However, critics noted that rail services had been heavily impacted by industrial action during that time and have continually proved unreliable since.
When the pilot ended, fares also jumped for commuters over 60, who are entitled to reductions in travel costs.
MSP Jackie Baillie backed David’s quest for just fares, saying: “Commuters have not only faced unreliable rail services under the watch of the SNP Government, they have also faced increasing fares.
“The end of the off-peak rail fares pilot has meant that many hard-pushed commuters have faced increased rail fares at a time when other household costs are also increasing.
“I have been contacted by many commuters in the constituency who have found themselves paying vastly increased amounts for unreliable services.
“It beggars belief that over 60s are now also facing these unjustified costs.”
My sister in law and I travelled from Milngavie to Bearsden (2 stops) on the 4.36 train from Milngavie. We missed the earlier one. We were charged £2.70 each although we are aged 75 and 87 respectively. Our travel cards were no good at this time. We were told “rules is rules”. 6 minutes late and only travelled 2 stops. Surely a bit of discretion could have been applied here. The normal cost is £1 if we had travelled on the earlier train. We are, of course, in East Dunbartonshire!!!!